Use of photo-elicitation to gain insights into the nature of self-managed teams in the academic world

Self-managed teams remain an area of interest in the literature and in practice. This study draws on the experiences of four academic women from four different disciplines and uses photo-elicitation to determine the nature of self-managed teams in the academic world. Data was gathered from associated in-depth interviews and a focus group to identify elements which constitute the characteristics of self-managed teams. Photo-elicitation provided a novel and intriguing approach to encourage the women to talk about their experiences, thoughts and ideas. Findings showed that there is a hierarchical clustering of elements around two factors: Human Relations and The Environment. The 'Human Relations' factor was considered to be the primary one and consisted of elements including integrity, honesty, trust, respect, being valued, self-efficacy and friendship. Leadership was also found to contribute to the development and continued existence of the self-managed team. Secondary elements related to 'Environmental' aspects and included career, work, safety and security, barriers, longevity, a network, and shared goals. While this study examined one self-managed team in an academic environment, it sheds light on the nature and complexity of self-managed teams and the work of academics, as individuals and minority groups (in this case, women in academia), seek and find ways to exercise their place as worthy intellectual colleagues, and in the process, they find themselves as part of a self-managed team where they discover friendship, fun and a future.